Frank and Gwen, Thank you for another amazing and insightful podcast. Once again I had a terrible time shutting off my phone at its conclusion. I think 30 minutes is not nearly enough time to enjoy your company.I could listen to you two speak ad nauseum and still I think I would not stop. I absolutely loved your book recommendations. A Lost Lady is now high on my list of what to read next. If you ever get the chance I would love to hear your thoughts on City of Glass by Paul Auster (this story made me want to become a writer) and also post modernism literature as a whole which I know is one of those genres that people either love or hate with no middle ground in sight. But it would be interesting to hear your perspectives and if you have found any pleasure in reading these types of novels. Once again, thank you I honestly love love love your podcast so much. You two are brilliant. Keep up the great work. -C

First, your podcast is fantastic. So engaging and well put together. I've read a few things you've recommended and have loved everything, in particular lately "Lincoln in the Bardo" and "All Our Wrong Todays" after Gwen's review (thank you Gwen, I loved them both). But I'm writing today to thank Frank -- Frank, you've given me a reason to pull "Nine Stories" off my shelf and read past "A Perfect Day for Bananafish". Not sure why I've never read the other stories before, but when I heard you say "pretty mouth and green my eyes" it clicked with me as I'm a huge PJ Harvey fan -- she references it directly (using those words, and now I wonder if there's more from the story) in her incredible song "Angelene" (off the album "Is this Desire?"). Thank you Gwank! :)

Re your comments on Salinger. After I first read Catcher in the Rye in 10th grade I went whole hog into the ouvre. And the NYPL was instrumental in my quest. I was able to track down all his uncollected stories, some two dozen or so, at the main branch and the Mid Manhattan. As to the spartan jacket design, Salinger was adamant about that, as well as no blurbs, picture or bio. And I would recommend revisiting Joyce's Dubliners, as another collection that we couldn't really appreciate when we first attempted them.

My daughter studied Japanese. According to her the correct pronunciation is mahn-ga vs. Main-ga What is the traditional pronunciation in library land? My fellow librarians can't come to a consensus. I tend to agree with the Japanese. Love your podcast and banter. I learn so much!

Hi, I listened to your podcast for the first time today and enjoyed it very much. I specifically chose this episode because there would be discussion about Salinger. I enjoyed your take on it very much and it made me want to reread his short stories, which I have not revisited in a few years, so thank you for that. I did want to argue (very nicely) to a point Frank made, though, where he said Salinger wasn't sentimental. I find him to be very sentimental, and the passage that immediately sprang to mind was a portion of Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters (I would argue that whole story is full of sentiment) but most especially the story Buddy tells of a visit his father paid to him and Seymour in their apartment where their father asks Seymour if he remembers Joe Jackson giving Seymour a ride around on the handle bars of his bike and Salinger says, "Seymour... replied gravely and at once, and in the special way he always answered questions from Les-as if they were the questions, above all others, he preferred to be asked in his life. He said he wasn't sure he had ever got off Joe Jackson's beautiful bicycle. And aside from its enormous sentimental value to my father personally, this answer, in a great many ways, was true, true, true." Aside from it's actual use of the word 'sentimental' which I don't mean to use as part of my point, I just can't help but think all of Buddy's stories come from a place of sentimental nostalgia, that is crucial to their depth, especially in the details he gives such as describing the shoes Seymour is wearing as "moccasins with the counters broken down". It is such a remarkable detail in that when Buddy is telling this story Seymour has been dead for seven years. Again, I loved the episode and look forward to listening to more, I just couldn't help but say no really, I swear, he is sentimental! Thank you.

I have been listening for about 6 months now -I went back to the beginning to be sure to listen to all of them-so I'm only at Ep. 56 but I had to write and say how much I love you both! I started listening because I was in grad school, obtaining my MLIS, and a peer recommended your show to all of us in class. I'm so glad she did! I have since graduated and now I'm working in a public library! You have both allowed me to have a glimpse of the library world before I landed my first job in one, you also supplied me with many laughs, and books recs--I can't thank you two enough! On that note, I have also learned to keep my Goodreads open when listening to your podcast because I add soooo many books to my never ending "to be read" pile! Thank you and much love to you both! Ps- hello and thank you to your fantastic producer too!